Where is My Mind

The most noteworthy college basketball results of the past four days:

Texas A&M 67, Arizona 66: Arizona was killing A&M in this one until UA point guard Nic Wise fouled out on a stupid reach-in with over nine minutes left. From then on, the Wildcats couldn’t stop the Aggies’ rally, then, for the second time already this season, choked away a chance to hit the final shot of the game. I’m still in the mind frame to be more happy that they showed they could compete than I am devastated about the loss, but that’s only going to last for so long. With a killer next four (San Diego State, Gonzaga, UNLV, Kansas), the Wildcats need to get off this “almost there” tip and start winning some big ballgames.

Illinois 76, Georgia 42: Don’t look now, but Bruce Weber has the Illini at 7-1, with just a two-point loss to Clemson knocking them from the ranks of the unbeaten. And to make things even more exciting for Illini fans, Alex Legion, a stud recruit who bolted Kentucky last year as a freshman, becomes eligible Dec. 20. In a Big Ten that is anything but locked down at the top, Illinois is all of a sudden becoming a team that bears watching.

Ohio State 67, Notre Dame 62; Michigan 81, Duke 73, Minnesota 71, Cornell 54: Speaking of Big Ten teams making the leap …

(Beating Cornell certainly isn’t in the same league as beating the Irish or Blue Devils, but the Gophers are now 8-0 in year two of Tubby ball. It’s worth keeping an eye on.)

Iowa State 63, Oregon State 50: Is it weird that I’m extra rooting against the Beavers just because Michelle Obama’s brother is the coach there?

Charlotte 66, Southern Illinois 64: And this game was in Carbondale, not a good sign for the Valley. (At least Creighton got back some MVC pride by beating St. Joseph’s 59-58 in Philadelphia.)

Wisconsin-Milwaukee 66, Wright State 59: I don’t know if there’s a more shocking beginning to the season by a team than Wright State opening up 0-6 and 0-2 in the Horizon. The Raiders were selected second in the Horizon preseason poll and returned a bunch of talent from last year’s 21-10 team.

Miami (Fl) 73, Kentucky 67: Jodie Meeks (4 of 17, 2 of 12 in this one) is going to single-handedly shoot Kentucky to a sub-.500 record. That kid is terrible.

Missouri 93, California 66: I’m officially putting Mizzou back on the watch list. I wouldn’t put them up with Kansas, Oklahoma or Texas in the Big 12, but with this win over Cal, plus an earlier victory over USC, we at least know they could compete in the Pac-10. All of a sudden, their Dec. 23 Braggin’ Rights Game with Illinois becomes a lot more interesting. It might be worth a trip downtown to see it in person.

Florida State 57, Florida 55: I really wish I had picked the Seminoles as my Sleeper instead of the Oregon Ducks. I was so close. Damnit.

Oregon 75, Kansas State 70: Well, at least the Ducks beat Kansas State.

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You know what’s a pretty cool song? Where is My Mind by the Pixies. Even though they were local to New England (Boston specifically) I never really got into the Pixies. It’s probably because I thought their name was gay (especially considering I was listening to Suicidal Tendencies at the time; Hey, I was 13. Give me a break.). But that’s a damn fine song right there.

Here. Take a look for yourself.



I never realized the impact the Pixies had on music I did listen to, specifically Nirvana, which really took me from the “hate your parents and punch holes in the wall” kick to the “let’s just get drunk and high” kick.

From Kurt Cobain, talking about how the Pixies impacted his writing of Smells Like Teen Spirit: “I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it (smiles). When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily I should have been in that band - or at least in a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.”

I also just learned that one of the creative forces in the Pixies, Black Francis, changed his name to Frank Black and sang, among many others, Los Angeles, which I currently have on my iPod. (Another original member of the band, Kim Deal, formed The Breeders after leaving the Pixies. Them, I do not like.)

So there you go, a little lesson into the origins of 90s Alternative music.

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Sucks for Broncos Running back Peyton Hillis. A plague on the Denver running backs left the rookie from Arkansas with a golden opportunity to shine. And he was taking advantage, rushing 57 times for 305 yards (5.35 average) and 5 touchdowns while taking this year’s title of “guy you’ve never heard of getting picked up in fantasy football.” But, alas, it was not meant to last. Hillis messed up his hamstring against the Chiefs on Sunday and will be out for the rest of the year.

Still, Hillis, in very limited duty, has accounted for nearly as many yards from scrimmage as his much more heralded college teammate Darren McFadden with the Raiders. And Hillis, with six total scores, has as many as McFadden and another Arkansas first-round back, Felix Jones of Dallas, combined. Not bad for a seventh-round draft pick.

McFadden: 405 yards rushing (3 TD), 166 yards receiving, total 571 yards from scrimmage
Hillis: 343 yards rushing (5 TD), 179 yards receiving (1 TD), 522 total yards from scrimmage
Jones: 266 yards rushing (3 TD), 10 yards receiving, total 276 yards from scrimmage

(If for some reason you need a fill-in RB for your fantasy playoffs, Tatum Bell is back where he had his greatest success – starting running back for the Denver Broncos. Denver plays at Carolina next week, then hosts Buffalo in Week 16.)

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That reminds me, check out this list of top rookie rushers and where they were drafted:

Matt Forte, Chicago, 1012 yards, second round (44th overall) out of Tulane
Chris Johnson, Tennessee, 958 yards, first round (24th overall) out of East Carolina
Steve Slaton, Houston, 904 yards, third round (89th overall) out of West Virginia
Kevin Smith, Detroit, 621 yards, third round (64th overall) out of Central Florida
Jonathan Stewart, Carolina, 586 yards, first round (13th overall) out of Oregon
Ray Rice, Baltimore, 454 yards, second round (55th overall) out of Rutgers
McFadden, Oakland, 405 yards, first round (4th overall) out of Arkansas
Tim Hightower, Arizona, 359 yards, fifth round (149th overall) out of Richmond
Hillis, 343 yards, seventh round (227th overall) out of Arkansas
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City, 326 yards, third round (73rd overall) out of Texas

(And in 11th place is BenJarvus Green-Ellis, undrafted out of Mississippi)

What’s the lesson here? As usual, there really isn’t one. I just found it interesting.

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What’s with this whole Blackwater manslaughter bullshit? Aren’t mercenaries supposed to have immunity for their crimes? Isn’t that the whole point of becoming a mercenary, that you can do whatever you want to poor foreigners and nobody will fuck with you for it? I mean, what’s the freaking point anymore?

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Danny, the question yesterday was, “who here expected the Giants to win the Super Bowl at this time last year?” I draw your attention to the part of the question that reads, “at this point last year.”

At this point last year, the Giants were not a Super Bowl favorite. At this point last season, Eli Manning was still throwing picks at the worst possible times. At this point last season, Tom Coughlin was still just months removed from being the coach most likely to get canned mid-season. And at this point last season, they were about to lose to Washington at home in Week 15.

At this point last season, the Pats were favored to win the Super Bowl, followed in some order by the Colts, Cowboys and Packers. The Giants were an afterthought.

Don’t test me, boy!

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The NBA sucks.

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Farewell, Greg Maddux. Though I never rooted for the guy (unless he was playing the Yankees in the World Series), this seems an appropriate time to pay homage to one of the greatest pitchers of our generation.

Drafted out of high school in the second round

Made his Major League debut for the Cubs a little more than two years later at age 20

5008.3 innings, 13th most all time (18 seasons with 200+)

3371 strikeouts, 10th all time

355 wins, 8th most all time

109 complete games with 35 shutouts

Won the league ERA title four times (eight times under 2.50; 1.56 in 2004, 1.63 in 2005)

Career WHIP of 1.14 (four seasons under 1.0)

Eight-time All-Star

Four-time Cy Young winner (plus 5 other top-5 finishes)

18 Gold Gloves, more than any other player at any other position

If this guy isn’t a unanimous first-ballot Hall of Famer, anybody who didn’t vote for him should immediately lose their vote and be banned from all baseball games for life (live, TV, radio, Web, anything).